Why do you want to make this stew?

In a busy house, it is challenging to create a slow-cooked stew. Meanwhile, who can deny your family’s heart-warming enjoyment from having one?

How to make this stew when you don’t have a lot of time?

In the book, The Make Ahead Cook, America’s Test Kitchen shows a technique called the make-ahead stew. They suggest first cooking it halfway and then finishing it up just before eating. In this recipe, I broke down the steps so that it can fit into our daily chores. Most importantly, I choose a dish that tastes even better as leftovers. Beef bourguignon is one such dish.

Now that the work is done, what’s your reward?

Full flavor. That’s your reward. When the work is done, treat yourself with a sip of cabernet; let its front-loaded punch wake up your taste. Then take a bite of the slow-cooked beef and vegetables. As that blend of wine and beef flavors tapers off swiftly, nibble on a baguette with blue cheese or butter to add to your mid-palate. At the end, don’t forget to soak up the beefy meat sauce with some extra bread. It’s just that finger-licking good.

In the book, The Make Ahead Cook, America’s Test Kitchen shows a technique called the make-ahead stew. Echoing the book, my recipe breaks down the steps so that it can fit into our daily chores. Try it! See it for yourself!

In the last 15 minutes, make a beurre manie by mixing flour, soft butter together and slowly add the hot liquid from the stew into the butter-flour mixture

Return the beurre manie, pearl onions and mushrooms back to the stew and continue to cook in the last 15 minutes.

Notes

1) You can break down the steps further by preparing the beef and aromatic vegetables and pearl onions first, then browning the beef, then finally stewing it.2) When browning the beef, do not crowd the pan. You may need to do this in batches.3) Frozen pearl onions can be used, but fresh ones taste far more flavorful. Just boil the fresh ones 1 to 2 minutes, put them in an ice bath, and pop them out of their skin.4) Browned beef can be refrigerated up to 3 days before stewing5) If refrigerated, the final stew can be stored up to 4 days. You can also freeze it safely for up to 6 months.5) This dish is comfortably beefy but yet low in cholesterol and carb.

First taste of watermelon soup

During my vacation this summer, I tasted my first watermelon soup at a pizzeria at Lake Tahoe. From what I was told, it was an one-time offering only. Since I had never made any soup from watermelon, I wanted to taste it.

Displeased but determined to improve

I was disappointed. It was runny. I could taste the flavors, but they were not infused together to give me a sense of richness. I was confused as to whether I was eating a soup or drinking watermelon juice. That left me wondering if there was a way to enhance it without cooking. I thought it was necessary to make a cold emulsion. After having experimented with pounds of watermelon, I decided to add olive oil into the mix. The result was surprisingly satisfying.

The final taste

The new version tastes richer. The presence of olive oil pulls together the freshness of watermelon, tartness of strawberry and spiciness of ginger. It holds the trio with finesse to give an invigorating taste.

Chill the soup for at least one hour or overnight. Doing so will infuse the flavors.

Notes

1. The flavor of the soup develops as it is left in the refrigerator. Therefore, if possible, leaving it overnight will improve the flavor.2. Before serving, if you can, pulse the soup a few more times in a blender. Doing so will open up the flavors before you serve.

The micro greens sparked this noodle recipe

I came up with this noodle idea by looking at the micro greens at a farmer’s market, imagining them sprouting through the noodles, just like a spring garden. One thing led to another, I borrowed the tan tan noodles idea, and packed in an abundance of nutrients and colors from a broad variety of condiments including tofu, mung bean sprouts, and microgreens. I also switch the original oily chili sauce with a creamier peanut sauce. Many of the ingredients are used right out of the package and can be stored in the refrigerator to fit my work schedule.

Simple noodles, complex flavors

Although the dish can be made in a flash, its taste is undeniably complex. Begin enjoying the dish by looking at the noodles, anticipate the tenderness and resistance for a satisfying bite. Observe the micro greens sprouting out from the bowl with nutrients and a light snap. Then taste the crunch of the vegetables that interplays with that al dente linguine. Continue to enrich your senses as you savor the creaminess of the peanut butter and sesame oil that is punctuated by the sharpness of the vinegar and the bold spiciness of sriracha.

Want to learn more about cooking noodles?

Download Noodles Everyday from Amazon! In this book, Corinne Trang takes you around Asia to show you as many noodle dishes as you can make everyday. Besides noodles, my personal favorite is the section that teaches basic stocks and seasoning sauces.

Tips on this recipe

As a street food, tan tan noodle is usually made up of a spicy sauce poured over noodles and then topped with ground pork and preserved vegetables.

Disappointed by store-bought green tea, I am making my own.

When I was researching for the article Be Smart About Energy Drink, I discovered that as an energy drink, green tea is loaded with health benefits. These days, there is a huge selection of green tea drinks you can choose from. I tried quite a few of them, but none of them delighted me. The reason: all of the drinks were flat, and they just didn’t taste right to me. I was looking for sparkling iced green tea.

Getting the formula right

Because of my disappointment, I began developing my own ultimate sparkling green tea drink. Having tested many brands of tea. I found one recipe that I like. This green tea drink is refreshing. As you drink it, it stimulates you with refreshing lime carbonation, and a brisk aftertaste. Also, It is simply brewed in the bottle.

Things you may want to know

Instead of diet lime soda, you may also use unsweetened sparkling water, a great crisp taste, especially for warm weather.

Shopping Corner

After testing a few containers to brew this tea, I have to say the Aladdin drinking bottle does the job best. After the tea is brewed, the bottle has a wide opening that allows you remove the teabags with no fuss. This bottle can also be used to prepare real-fruit water to take to work, making cleanup very easy. Try it!

Frozen turkey makes a perfect pie

Every year, we freeze holiday leftovers for a reason – to make something yummy later. Christmas is right around the corner now, and there will be even more leftovers to freeze. Wait no more. This pot pie will give your frozen turkey a new life. All you needs is a toaster oven.

Since you have been busy preparing for the holidays – shopping, decorating or baking. Take a break and bring out that frozen turkey and stock to make this heart warming pot pie.

As you enjoy the turkey’s tenderness, let your taste buds be surprised by the refreshingly light cauliflower crust. Yes, cauliflower – not potatoes. This crust does not weigh you down, so you can reach for seconds. Enjoy – Merry Christmas!

Shopping Corner

Did you know that this pie is made in a toaster oven? There are a number of recipes that can be made with it. Check out The Gourmet Toaster Oven. In this book, Lynn Alley shows you energy-efficient ways to make delicious meals from breakfast to dinner using a toaster oven. Add this cookbook to your collection and explore.

Why yellow rice?

Forget white rice – eat yellow rice! Rice cooking has been evolving. Growing up, I was given pure white rice. Nowadays, people say mixed-grains are healthier. But secretly, I badly want a breakthrough in my rice.

This rice is easy to make and the taste is phenomenal

For inspiration, I picked up this book – Classic Asian Rice by Lee Geok Boi. It is dedicated entirely to cooking rice. Among her recipes, this Southeast Asian celebratory rice caught my attention. It looks complicated, but actually it is extremely easy to make. Just put everything in a rice cooker.

Experience this! As the rice is being cooked, the aroma from the cooker begins to heighten your hunger. When you open the rice cooker, the vibrant yellow color is cheering and bright. Take one bite – let your taste buds be enticed by the richness and sweetness of the coconut. As your senses reach a crescendo , suddenly you realize that it is not your everyday rice! It’s celebratory rice.

Pair it with something from my other recipes

To top it all off, pair it up with my other recipes such as Pepper, Sausage and Rice. The result – a flavor-packed rice lunch.

To make 8 servings, be sure to double ingredients of Pepper, Sausage and Rice recipe.Nutrition facts listed are for rice only.Cook time may vary depending your rice cooker.I deviated from the classic recipe by replacing the coconut cream with coconut water.

Shopping Corner

Before I discovered Classic Asian Rice, I had no idea that there were so many ways to cook rice. If like me, you are bored with your everyday rice, let Classic Asian Rice reframe your mind! After reading this cookbook, I am sure you will enjoy learning all the creative dishes from this book. It’s an eye-opening experience.

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In charge of a Thanksgiving dish? Opt for this last-minute soup!

Each Thanksgiving, when we divide up the meal, one person is in charge of the first course, the Thanksgiving soup. Here is a last-minute soup you can make. Amaze your guests at the Thanksgiving table with this hearty soup.

How does the soup taste?

As you savor this soup, catch every note played by the ingredients. Start with the smoky bass of the bacon augmented by the earthiness of the pumpkin. This is then joined by the sweetness of the corn and finally contrasted by the tartness of Granny Smith apples. All consummated with the delectable finish in a satisfyingly creamy bowl of soup.

Shopping Corner

Whether you are preparing your first Thanksgiving party or refining your customary dishes, download Thanksgiving 101 – the Kindle edition. This book covers subjects from buying to preparing food, to explaining dishes you are unclear about. It contains easy step-by-step instructions on classic Thanksgiving dishes as well as suggestions on variating traditional ones. Give it a try!

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What are hawker noodles?

Creative ramen noodles are also known as “Hawker noodles”. They are a very popular street food in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Penang and Hong Kong. They are served by first combining noodles and hot soup. Then the noodle hawkers add a variety of side ingredients. At lunch time, you will see busy noodle makers barely keeping up with swamps of customers, serving up bowl after bowl, while hungry eaters eagerly slurp them all up.

How to make hawker noodles at home?

To make hawker noodles at home, you need some ramen noodles and add-on ingredients. Traditionally, they include vegetables and mushrooms, then Spam and all kinds of meat balls, as well as some frightening organ meats. Anything goes. The choices are limitless.

My hawker noodles for the Halloween

For this Halloween, I added severed hot dog fingers to mine. When done, let your inner monster come out by slurping up the noodles and gnawing on the fingers – Happy Halloween – awooooo!

Poach napa cabbage for 3 minutes, remove the softer parts at about mid-point.

Poach Enoki mushrooms for 1 minute.

To assemble, place noodles at the center of a noodle bowl. Layer cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, hot dog fingers on top. Serve each bowl with up to five fingers.

Notes

Pre-packed ramen noodles are notorious of their high sodium content. To lower it, I increased the water to 6 cups. Then I only used ¾ cup of hot soup per bowl. By doing so, I dropped the sodium content from 830mg to just 207.5mg per serving. I guarantee you are not losing any flavors.

To feed the hotter side of you and add some "blood stains" onto the noodles, decorate the bowl with some red Sriracha.

How an egg-frying problem sparked the muffin-pan idea

As students are returning to school, I figure a ham and egg sandwich should be useful. As I was trying to reproduce this sandwich with an English muffin, I realized that it was almost impossible to fry a perfectly round egg using a regular pan.

As I was digging around, I found a 6-cup muffin pan – bingo! I decided to try the water-bath baking method. As you follow my recipe, all you need to do is to pop the muffin pan into a toaster oven, set the timer, and let the egg cook and rise on its own. I decided to pair it with pita bread to save even more time, and calories too. In the end, these light and fluffy egg patties turned out to be perfect for making a fuss-free ham and egg sandwich if you are in a hurry.

To make baking even faster, prepare the egg mixture and chopped lettuce the night before and refrigerate.

Once baked, you can refrigerate the egg patties for no more than 3 days. Take them to work or school. To reheat, microwave for about 30 seconds. Then assemble the sandwich.

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How to have a barbecue party on the fly

Picture this. You decided to give a quick, casual party tomorrow, but as you return from work, you are too tired to buy any groceries.

Here is an idea! Go to the fridge and look for these: beer, stock, bratwurst (those you might have left in the freezer a few months ago), an apple, onions, and hot dog buns. If you’ve got them, you’ve got yourself a party.

Tips, tricks, and links

For this recipe, I used my Weber Q 120 portable gas grill. It is my favorite grill because it uses only camp size (14.1 or 16.4-ounce) butane gas. That allows me to grill almost anywhere.

As for the beer broth, there aren’t really any set rules in preparing it. As the original batch starts to boil off, just add more beer or stock as you wish.

Got more people coming, open up more bratwursts and buns as the party grows. Also, these bratwursts will complement any other veggies or chips you choose to serve to round out the meal.

This recipe is very high in Vitamin B6, but also high in calories and saturated fats. If you are concerned about calories and fats, switch to turkey sausages. Doing so will cut the calories to 135, total fat 4.2g, saturated fat 1.2g, cholesterol 11mg.